“It’s the demise of the written word!” That was my reaction when e-readers first appeared on the market several years back. I moaned and cried that technology was going to kill the book as we know it… along with libraries, window seats, book clubs, coffee houses and everything wonderful associated with traditional books. Now I’m hooked. Don’t get me wrong– a real live book can be warm and welcoming, and the best books even smell like knowledge (or musty library smell, if you’re being scientific). But e-books have their appeal too. Like book privacy. Not everyone on the train needs to know that I’m reading a slightly trashy romance novel or a book intended for 7-year old kids. And an e-reader allows us to (technically speaking) smush thousands of books into one paperback-sized device. A library in your pocket! Pretty neat. Most of all, e-readers will– I hope– open up the book market to new authors with different perspectives, experiences and stories to tell. We’ve already started to see this happen, with several new and independent writers gaining recognition (or even making it big by selling millions of 99 cent books.) But it’s still a jungle out there. Let’s face it. There are a bunch of self-published e-books out there that aren’t worth the dollar or the time it takes to read them. But, if you’re patient and dig deep enough, you can find gems. I think of Indebooks as a collective digging operation. Here, readers will come together with dirt under our fingernails to share our discoveries with one another, marvel at the great finds, and chat about all things in the World of Books. So whether you own a Kindle, a Nook, an iPad or something else, I hope you join in the discussion! Because what’s better than talking about … Continue reading →
